Undergarment



My 9, 1944. c. BULLINGER UNDERGARMENT Filed NOV; 9, 1940 INVENTOR.

BY l 00a/'ad W, V'

' Hrw Patented May 9, 1944 UNITED `s'rrl'rias PATENT OFFICE Conrad Bullinger, Riverside, Ill., assigner to A.

Stein & vCompany, Chicago, Ill., a corporation' of Illinois Application November 9, 194i),Y Serial No. 364,960

' (ore-224) 3 Claims.

rihis invention relates to improvements in the construction ofv undergarments and although it is mainly designed forY use in connection with the production of womens undergarments such as pantie girdles, adapted to the production of mens undergarments such as shorts.

The main objects of the invention are to provide an undergarment of the type indicated of exceptionally simple construction but which will nevertheless be of form-fitting character to `an unusually high degree, especially in view of the simplicity of the construction of the garment herein contemplated; to provide a garment which will be comfortable to wear both because of its form-fitting character and the absence of seams or the like in places where seams would be felt by the wearer;.and in general it is the object of the invention to provide an improved garment of the character described.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the following specication and accompanying drawing wherein there is illustrated a womens undergarment generally designated a pantie girdle, embodying a selectedform ofthe invention.

In the drawingit rmay nevertheless be Figs. -1 and 2 are front and rearv perspective views, respectively, of the improved garment in distended condition substantially as when worn;

and f Fig. 3 is a plan of a blankv of material from which the garment is formed.

Referring now to the drawing',1 the `garment herein disclosed is formed from a single piece of fabric shaped as indicated in Figure 3. rlhe fabric may be of any suitable character and in the case of a pantie girdle garment for womens wear, the fabric is preferably a woven fabric containing rubber strands extending lengthwise of the fabric blank. The fabric is preferably of such a character that the rubber strands extending in one direction together with the weave of the fabric impart to the fabric a twoway stretch character, although it is particularly desirable that the fabric be substantially stretchable lengthwise of the blank, i. e., in the direction of the rubber strands. Woven fabrics such as are called Leno web are well suited to the production of a womens pantie girdle. Other fabrics may, of course, be used. In the production of a womans pantie girdle it is important-that there be suflicient resiliency in the garment to permit it to snugly adapt itself to the wearers body, Whereas in the production of mens shorts, the garment may be made of other, relatively inelastic, materials andof such size as to `fit either snugly or freely. l

As shown in Figure 3, the blank of woven material includes a main or central portion v5 having downwardly and outwardly inclined end edges 4t and l, respectively. The lower portion of the blank is provided at its opposite ends with extensions or leg for-ming portions 8 and -9, respectively. Theupper edges ID and ll of said extensions extend laterally outwardly from the respective end edges 6 and l, and they are' preferably of concave form as shown. The free ends of said leg forming extensions 8 and 9 have downwardly extending end edges I2 and i3, which, as illustrated, have rounded upper portions and substantially straight downwardly and inwardly inclined portions.

The bottomedge of the blank is preferably cut so as to provide a centrally disposed convex edge portion I4 and concave Vend portions l5 and I6 'on opposite sides of rthe central convex portion.

The lower central portion of the body 5 is also notched out as illustrated to provide a U-shaped opening I'I formed preferably by concave edges as shown. The upper edge of the blank substantially parallels the lower edge thereof.

To form the garmentI illustrated in Figures 1 and 2` from'the blank` shown in Figure 3, the

blank is folded upon itself -to bring its end edges 6 and '7 together, whereupon they are suitably -sttched or otherwise united as-` indicated by the vertical seam 20, thereby forming a tubular vgarment body.

The horizontally or laterally extending edges il) and H are also brought into register with each other and united in continuation of the seam 20 as shown vat 2|.

The end edges l-2l-and I3 of the leg formin extensions are then-respectively united bystitching to the notch-formed ledge portions 'I8 and l-S as indicated by the arcuate seam 24, thereby `to form the legs ofl thega'rment.

The seam 295 'is preferablyv disposed inthe middle of the frontv of `'the garment' and, as shown, its continuation 2| extends directly rearwardly through the crotch of the garment. |Ihe ends 22 and 23 of the edge portions I il and Il, respectively, terminate in the seam 24 which is disposed in the back of the garment.

Suitable hose supporters such as indicated at 25 may be provided on the garment and the edges of the garment at the leg openings and that the waist opening may be suitably finished by hemming or otherwise. The seams 20 and the legs of the garment. v and rearV portions of the legs are formed Yby The front, outerside Y the lower portions of the blank on opposite sides Y of the notch Il. v Y

By the joining of said concave edgeportions in combination with the joiningk of the end portions of the leg sections to the notch-formed edges, lthere is produced a normal, spaced relation between the front and back portions of the garment body. In other words, the garment Y,body has a normal, distended form which is adapted to snugly lit the body. v

The end edges I2 and I3 of the leg forming `portions of the blank are, in this instance, shown .as being somewhat longer than the respective (edge portions I8 and I9, to which the former are joined this is merely for the purpose of accommodating the action of a sewing machine employed in stitching the edges together. In the stitching operation, the excess length of the edges g I2 and I3 is automatically worked into the seam within the length of the respective edge portions I8 and I9. The relationship of 'the lengths ofthe edges I2 and I3 to the lengths of the edges I8 and,I9 may vary with diierent fabrics. f

When the garment isV formed with elastic fabric having rubber4 strands extending lengthwise of the blank, the rubber strands in the finished garment extend horizontally or circumferentially of the body vportions and also horizontally or ,circumferentially of the leg'portions of the garment. Thus, adequate expansibility and re- ;siliency are provided inthe garment to cause it to supply the desired snuglyiitting and constricting effect on the body. A

It, will be apparent that .thel described construction, although producing a pre-shaped,form fitting garment, is nevertheless very simple both in- 'respect ofl theshaping of the blank vandv in 1respectr of manufacturingoperationsto form the lblank intoa garment." The' garment embodies onlyxtwo seams, e., the vertical seam which extends downwardly and rearwardly through the crotch of Vthe garment, and the arcuate seam 24 which, in effect, constitutes a ,leg seam and it will be apparent that no'portionv of it is located in any zone where it mightY cause discomfort to the wearer` even whenrstting. Y -fChanges in the described construction may be made lwithout departing from the spirit ofthe invention, the scope ofrwhich'shouldbe determined by reference tothe following claims, the

, .same being construed'as broadly as possible,

consistent with the state of the art.

- I claim: Y I

. centrally disposed notch of substantial Width and of a depth approximating the vertical dimension of said lower portion, said notch serving to separate said lower portion into a pair of leg forming sections, the outer side edge of each of said sections being united respectively to the notched-formed inner side edge thereof and the upperr edges of said extensions being united to each other substantially in continuation of the seam between the side edges of said upper portion, said notch being of such length and Vdepth and said extensions being ofV such length that the seam betweensaid upper edges extends substantially from the front to the back of the garment when distended .as when being worn, and such that .the seamsbetween the outer and inner side edges of said leg forming sections are disposed substantially in the plane of the portion of the distended garment opposite to the portion thereof containing said first mentioned united side edges.

2. A garment according to claim l wherein Y theseam between the side edges of theupper portion of the fabric member is disposed in the front of the garment and the seams between the inner and outer side edges of the leg forming sections are disposed in the back of the garment. f 3. A form fitting `pantie girdle comprising a fabric member having an upper portion provided with side edges united so as to form a tubular body part, and havinga `lower portion adapted tov forml legs, said lower portion having sidewise extensions at both sides of the member and being provided 'with a centrally disposed notch which, in effect, 'separates said lower portion into a pair of leg formingV sections, the outer side edge of each of said leg forming sections being united respectively to the notch-formed inner' side edge thereof and the upper edges of said extensions being united to' each other substantially in continuation of the seam between the side edges of said upper portion, said extension being of suiiicient length to enable the same to form continuous, seamless vinner leg portions extending, when the garment is distended as when being worn, from'ap'proximately the plane of theifront of the garment to approximately the plane of the back of the garment, the seams Ybetween 'said outer side edges zand said notch-formed inner side edges beingdisposed substantially in the plane of the portion of the distended garment opposite to the portion thereof containingY the united 'side ,edges Aof said body portion.V

CONRAD BULLINGER. 

